Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Bill Keeps Teens From Indoor Tanning

UPDATE: Governor Perry has signed this bill, which goes into effect Sept. 1.

“We are here today to protect the adults of tomorrow,” Michael Wilkerson, MD, a Galveston dermatologist, told the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services members today. The committee took up a bill that would prohibit minors from using indoor tanning salons.

“The things these teenagers do when they’re 14, 15, and 16 years old don’t come home to roost until 15 or 20 years later,” said Dr. Wilkerson. “Let’s try to stop the epidemic that’s in place and move forward with restricting tanning in Texas until age 18.”

Donna Ragan, mother of Jamie Ragan who was diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, also asked lawmakers to pass the bill. This Saturday, March 16, marks the sixth anniversary of Jamie’s death. “This bill will save lives and it will protect our children,” said Ms. Ragan. “Our family is living through a nightmare, and I don’t want another family to have to go through this. It’s not right for a parent to have to watch their child suffer with pain and fear, and it’s not right for a parent to have to bury their child.”

Many health organizations have labeled ultraviolet radiation from tanning beds as “carcinogenic to humans,” putting the beds in the same risk category as cigarettes. Melanoma is now the second most common cancer in women aged 20-29 and is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 25 to 30.

“The facts are that thousands of Texans every year have their lives turned inside-out because of skin cancer,” Ms. Ragan told the committee. “Many of them were tanning bed users. Many of them were children.”

1 comment
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A research study conducted in New York has shown that indoor tanning may be addictive for some young adults, and people who are hooked on tanning beds may also be prone to anxiety and substance abuse problem.

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